(4) Float System Reliability. Reliability should be considered in the basic design to assure approximately equal inflation of the floats to preclude excessive yaw, roll, or pitch in flight or in the water.
Maintenance procedures should not degrade the flotation system
(e.g., introducing contaminants which could affect normal operation, etc.).
The flotation system design should preclude inadvertent damage due to normal personnel traffic flow and excessive wear and tear. Protection covers should be evaluated for function and reliability.
(5) Occupant Egress and Survival. The ability of the occupants to deploy liferafts, egress the rotorcraft, and board the literaits should be evaluated. For configurations which are considered to have critical occupant egress capabilities due to liferaft locations and/or ditching emergency exit locations and floats proximity, an actual demonstration of egress may be required. When a demonstration is required, it may be conducted on a full-scale rotorcraft actually immersed in a calm body of water or using any other rig/ground test facility shown to be representative. The demonstration should show that floats do not impede a satisfactory evacuation.
(6) Rotorcraft Flight Manual. The Rotorcraft Flight Manual is an important element in the approval cycle of the rotorcraft for ditching. The material related to ditching may be presented in the form of a supplement or a revision to the basic manual. This material should include:
The information pertinent to the limitations applicable to the ditching approval. If the ditching approval is obtained in a segmented fashion (l.e., one applicant performing the aircraft equipment installation and operations portion and another designing and substantiating the liferaft/lifevest and ditching safety equipment installations and deployment facilities), the RFM limitations should state "Not Approved for Ditching" until all segments are completed. The requirements for a complete ditching approval not yet completed should be identified in the "Limitations" section.
Procedures and limitations for flotation device inflation.
(iii) Recommended rotorcraft water entry attitude, speed, and wave position.
(iv) Procedures for use of emergency ditching equipment.
(V) Ditching egress and raft entry procedures.
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TABLE 337-1
SEA STATE CODE (WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION) Sea State Significant Wave Height Wind Speed Code Description of Sea Meters Feet Knots Calm (Glassy) 0-3 1 Calm (Rippled) O to 0.1 O to 1/3 4-6 2 Smooth (Wavelets) 0.1 to 0.5 1/3 to 1 2/3 7-10 Slight 0.5 to 1.25 1 2/3 to 4 11-16 4 Moderate 1.25 to 2.5 4 to 8 17-21 5 Rough 2.5 to 4 8 to 13 22-29 6 Very Rough 4 to 6 13 to 20 28-47 7 High 6 to 9 20 to 30 48-55 Very High 9 to 14 30 to 45 56-63 9 Phenomenal Over 14 Over 45 64-118 NOTES: (1) The Significant Wave Height is defined as the average value of the height (vertical distance between trough and crest) of the largest one-third of the waves present.
(2) Maximum Wave Height is usually taken to be 1.6 x Significant Wave Height; e.g., Significant Wave Height or 6 meters gives Maximum Wave Height of 9.6 meters.
(3) Winds speeds were obtained from Appendix R of the "American Practical Navigator by Nathaniel Bowditch, LL.D.; Published by the U.S.
Naval Oceanographic Office, 1966.
338. § 29.803 (Amendment 29-3) EMERGENCY EVACUATION
a. Explanation. The regulation specifies that "means for rapid evacuation in a crash landing" be provided considering the landing gear extended or retracted, and "considering the possibility of fire." Any external exits, whether normal entrance doors Par 337 501
АС 29-2B 7/30/97 or service doors, can be considered as emergency exits if the requirements of §§ 29.805 through 29.815 are met. "Limited amphibian rotorcraft" emergency exits are required to be designed for probable maximum local water pressure (or shown to have nonhazardous failure characteristics) and to have a specified number of exits above the water level. Limited amphibian rotorcraft are approved under the provisions of §§ 29.519 and 29.755(b). Sections 29.801 and 29.807(d) refer to similar standards that pertain to "rotorcraft ditching configurations."
b. Procedures. Exits, arrangement, markings, access, and aisle widths as specified in § 29.805 through 29.815 are to be provided. Recent rotorcraft designs have been approved under the "ditching" standards of § 29.801. Previous "limited amphibian rotorcrafti were designed to the same standards.
338A. § 29.803 (Amendment 29-30) EMERGENCY EVACUATION.
a. Explanation.
(1) Amendment 29-30 removed § 29.803(c) which concerned limited amphibians, now obsolete with adoption of § 29.801 ditching standards, and added § 29.803(d) for evacuation criteria of certain rotorcraft designs. Part 29, Appendix D evacuation procedures was adopted concurrently. In addition, newly adopted § 29.803(e) allows use of analysis and tests for compliance with the standard.
(2) This amendment adds explicit demonstration requirements even for certain smaller but "dense" interior arrangements as stated in § 29.803(d) (2).
(3) The 90-second duration for an evacuation demonstration through all exits on one side of the rotorcraft is a primary addition to the standard.
b. Procedures. All of the policy material pertaining to this section remains in effect with the following additions:
(1) For rotorcraft with a seating capacity of more than 44 passengers, conduct an emergency evacuation in accordance with the provisions of Appendix D.
(2) For certain smaller rotorcraft with a van or limousine-type "dense" interior as defined in § 29.803(d)(2), conduct an emergency evacuation in accordance with the provisions of Appendix D. The rotorcraft should meet all three requirements before a demonstration is specifically required.
(3) Appendix D contains procedures. Safety equipment for alleviating "ground" injuries is contained in Paragraph (c) of the Appendix.
(4) A combination of analysis and tests may be used in lieu of test only. A combination of tests and analysis is particularly intended to evaluate emergency 502 Par 338
evacuations from rotorcraft from 10 to 44 passengers with van or limousine-type interiors. Test other than full-scale evacuation tests may be used in conjunction with analyses to evaluate specific design features such as folding seat backs which affect only one or two passengers. That is, sections of an interior may be used to evaluate a feature and its effects on prompt evacuation of the rotorcraft.
339. § 29.805 (Amendment 29-3) FLIGHTCREW EMERGENCY EXITS.
a. Explanation. Flightcrew emergency exits are required when passenger exits are not convenient. The placement of litters, cargo, or bulkheads may prevent passenger exits from being convenient to the flightcrew. Flightcrew exits, if required, are to be of sufficient size and located on both sides of the rotorcraft (or one top hatch) to "allow rapid evacuation of the flightcrew." A test or tests are required.
b. Procedures. Flightcrew emergency exits, if required, may consist of one overhead hatch or two side exits (one on either side). The size is not explicitly defined except that it be "of sufficient size... to allow rapid evacuation of the flightcrew." The ability for "rapid evacuation" should be demonstrated by test. For side exits located immediately adjacent to the crew seat and exceeding Type IV exits (§ 29.807) in size, the test demonstration can be accomplished by normal use and evaluation of the exits by the FAA/AUTHORITY crew during Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) testing. For any overhead exit or side of fuselage exits not meeting Type IV dimensions, a special demonstration test should be accomplished. This demonstration should show that
2.5 percentile to 97.5 percentile men could egress rapidly through the crew exit(s), i.e., men 5 feet 5 inches to 6 feet 2 inches in height and up to 210 pounds in weight.
339A. § 29.805 (Amendment 29-30) FLIGHTCREW EMERGENCY EXITS.
a. Explanation. Amendment 29-30 adds a new paragraph § 29.805(c) which requires that water or flotation devices not obstruct the flight crew emergency exits after a ditching. Test, demonstration, or analysis is required for substantiation.
b. Procedures.
(1) The tests, demonstrations, or analysis required by § 29.805(c) for flight crew exits is analogous to those of § 29.807(d) (3) except the crew exit threshold may be slightly below the water line but should not obstruct use of the exit.
(2) Tests in water (tanks or large bodies of water) or demonstrations in the laboratory may be used for compliance if the deflections of flotation devices relative to the exits are accurately or conservatively achieved.
(3) Obstructions should be identified, should be minor, and should not interfere with exit removal or opening, or with crew egress.
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340. § 29.807 (Amendment 29-12) PASSENGER EMERGENCY EXITS.
a. Explanation. The normal passenger exits (type and number in each side of tuselage) are specified as follows:
(1) For overland operations.
Passenger Emergency exits (rectangular with corner radii of width/3) Seating for each side of the fuselage Capacity Floor level Step-up -29" Max Type I Type I! Type III Type IV 24" X 48" 20" X 44" 20" X 36" 19" X 26" 1 through 10 1 11 through 19 1 or 2 20 through 39 1 1 40 through 59 1 1 60 through 79 1 1 or 2
(2) For overwater operations (related to ditching an optional standard).
Passenger Emergency exits (rectangular with corner radii of width/3) Seating for each side of the fuselage Capacity Threshold Above Waterline Type III Type IV 20" X 36" 19" X 26" w/step-up - 29" MAX 1 through 9 10 through 35 Each Additional or Partial Unit of 35 1* *The passenger seat-to-exit ratio may be increased by using larger exits if proven by analyses or tests.
(3) For crash rollover conditions. Sufficient top, bottom, or ends of fuselage exits are to be provided for evacuation unless the probability of the rotorcraft coming to rest on its side in a crash landing is extremely remote.
(4) Ramp exits to replace Type or I exits are permitted.
(5) Each emergency exit must be functionally tested.
b. Procedures.
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(1) The number and size of overland and overwater operation exits will be as specified. The use of oversize exits is allowed if the threshold is flat and of the specified width.
(2) The top, bottom, or end fuselage exits should be provided unless features of design are provided which prevent the rotorcraft from coming to rest on its side in a crash landing, and unless sufficient fail-safe and fatigue tests and analyses are conducted of the landing gear and support structure to show it is unlikely that the rotorcraft will come to rest on its side as a result of a single structural failure. An analysis is generally necessary to prove compliance with § 29.807(c).
(3) Ramp exits may be used in place of one Type I or one Type Il exit if the required Type I or Type Il exit is impractical, and if the § 29.813 exit access requirements are met by the ramp exits.
(4) Each emergency exit is to be opened from the inside and the outside as a functional test. Interior panels and seats should be installed for the exit functional tests to check for interferences and other effects. Section 29.813 pertains to access to the exits.
340A. § 29.807 (Amendment 29-30) EMERGENCY EXITS.
a. Explanation. Amendment 29-30 added § 29.807(d)(3) which requires proof that all ditching configuration exits will be free of interference from emergency flotation devices, whether stowed or deployed (inflated). The threshold for each of these "ditching" exits should be above the water line in calm water.
b. Procedures.
(1) Test, demonstration, compliance inspection, or analysis is required to show freedom from interference from stowed and deployed emergency flotation devices. In the event an analysis is insufficient or a given design is questionable, a demonstration may be required. Such a demonstration would consist of an accurate, full-size replica (or true representation) of the rotorcraft and the flotation devices while stowed and after their deployment.
(2) The type inspection authorization may be used to perform compliance evaluation utilizing a full-scale rotorcraft in calm water. Designs may be accepted "by compliance inspection" if location of exit and flotation devices relative to each other ensures that interference is impossible. In this case, a demonstration is unnecessary.
Par 340 505
341. § 29.809 (Amendment 29-3) EMERGENCY EXIT ARRANGEMENT.
a. Explanation. Emergency exits are to be provided which result in an unobstructed opening to the outside. The following emergency exit requirements are the same as passenger door requirements of § 29.783 and noted for convenience.
(1) Openable from inside or outside.
(2) Simple and obvious means for opening.
(3) Means for locking.
(4) Means to prevent opening in flight inadvertently or as a result of mechanical failure.
(5) Means to minimize jamming in a minor crash landing.
NOTE: In addition the following emergency exit requirements are: (1) the means of opening may not require exceptional effort; and (2) a slide (for floor level exits) or rope must be provided as prescribed for exits whose thresholds are more than 6 feet from the ground (unless located over the wing). Sections 29.1411(c) and 29.1561 contain other standards for the descent devices.
b. Procedures. Subparagraphs 1 through 5 of the above explanation are covered in the procedure for § 29.783, Paragraph 334 of this document.
(1) The effort required to open the exit can be evaluated when the tests of § 29.807(f) are conducted. If the effort required to open the exit is in the range of 40 to 50 pounds, it is recommended that a person of slight stature, such as a female in the 90 to 110 pound weight range, be used for the exit opening demonstration/test. In any case, the average load required to operate the exit release mechanism and open the exit should not exceed 50 pounds, and the maximum individual load of a test series should not exceed 55 pounds.
(2) If an approved escape slide, or its equivalent, is provided for exits more than 6 feet from the ground with the landing gear extended, it should be located near the door and conspicuously marked. Automatic inflation and deployment under emergency conditions are the preferred means of operation but are not required by § 29.809. If automatic inflation and deployment features are provided, design features should prevent inadvertent deployment if the exit is a door used for normal entry and/or service. If manual deployment methods are used, they must be simple and easily carried out by a person of slight build and strength. The slide should rapidly inflate upon deployment. See § 29.809(f) for standards concerning an escape rope.
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341A. § 29.809 (Amendment 29-30) EMERGENCY EXIT ARRANGEMENT.
a. Explanation.
(1) Amendment 29-29 added the phrase, "under the ultimate forces in § 29.783(d)," to clarify that the following inertial load factors previously stated in § 29.809 were not altered by Amendment 29-29 and that the previous design conditions still apply to § 29.809(e) exits as well as the doors:
(i) Upward - 1.5g
(il) Forward - 4.0g
(iii) Sideward - 2.0g
(iv) Downward - 4.0g
(2) Amendment 29-30 further revised the requirements of § 29.809 by:
Amending requirements of § 29.809(f) to include landing gear malfunction or failure in determining the distance from the exit to the ground. (A means is required to assist occupants in descending to the ground when that distance is more than 6 feet);
(її) Adding specific requirements for automatic slides, automatic slide deployment (not optional), and slide qualification in a new § 29.809(g);
(iii) Allowing relaxation in § 29.809(h) such that a rope or other assist means may be used rather than a slide for rotorcraft having 30 or fewer passenger seats provided an evacuation demonstration is successfully accomplished; and,
(iv) Moving but not changing the egress rope requirements formerly in § 29.809(f) to a new § 29.809(i).
b. Procedures.
(1) The procedures of Paragraph 341 continue to apply except compliance should consider landing gear collapse, breaking, or not extending as well as slide deployment and proper inflation in 25 knot winds.
(2) Automatic deployment of slides is now a requirement, not an option.
(3) Procedures for slide qualification tests are explicitly provided in § 29.809(g)(5).
Par 341A 507
342. § 29,811 (Amendment 29-24) EMERGENCY EXIT MARKING.
a. Explanation.
(1) This regulation covers both the marking and exit interior illumination by emergency lighting prior to Amendment 29-24.
(2) With adoption of Amendment 29-24, the interior emergency lighting standards were moved to § 29.812, and exterior emergency lighting standards were added. However, the standards for emergency lighting in § 29.812 apply to transport Category A rotorcraft. Transport Category B rotorcraft shall have the "emergency" lighting required in § 29.811(d). General interior lighting standards are no longer specified in § 29.811.
(3) Locating and marking signs are specified for each emergency exit with the following features:
Locating signs and marking signs are to-- (A) Be recognizable from a distance equal to the width of the cabin;
(B) Have 1-inch white letters on a 2-inch red background (colors may be reversed); and (C) Be self- or electrically illuminated to a minimum brightness of 160 microlamberts.
(ii) Locating signs visible to occupants approaching along the main aisle are required for each exit.
(A) The sign is required next to or above the aisle for floor level exits.
(B) Bulkheads or dividers obscuring exits must have exit locating signs except as stated.
(4) Exit operating or release handle instructions are to be-- Readable from a distance of 30 inches; and
(ii) Supplemented with a red arrow and sign (for Type I or Type II exits with a handle having rotary motion) with the following features provided:
(A) A red arrow with a ¼-inch shaft, a head of twice the shaft width, and a 70° arc at 75 percent of handle length.
508 Par 342
(B) The word "open" in red letters 1 inch high near the head of the arrow.
(5) Emergency lighting.
(i> Prior to Amendment 29-24, an independent source of light, as prescribed, shall be installed in transport Category A or B rotorcraft to:
(A) Illuminate marking and locating signs;
(B) Provide general lighting of 0.05 foot-candles at 40-inch intervals at armrest height along the main aisle; and (C) Operate manually and automatically in a crash landing and when the normal electrical power is interrupted.
(II) Amendment 29-24 requires for transport Category B rotorcraft either self- or electrically illuminated exit marking and locating signs. General lighting standards are not specified. See § 29.812 for transport Category A standards.
(6) External exit markings are required which include a 2-wide band around the exit, identification, and instructions for opening. The external markings are to have a reflectance difference of 30 percent from the fuselage surface finish.
(7) Emergency exits signs may read simply "EXIT."
(8) Excess exits should meet all of the "EXIT" standards or should not be identified as an exit.
b. Procedures.
(1) Emergency exit locating signs may be located to the side of the aisle for small fuselage heights, rather than over the aisle where they may present a hazard to the occupant's head and possibly impede egress. For small passenger cabins one self-illuminated sign stating "EXIT" may be used as both the locating and marking sign for an individual exit on one side of the cabin (operating instructions will, of course, still be required). If one "EXIT" sign is used to both locate and mark the exit, it should be attached to the fuselage above the exit and not to the exit itself. If it is attached to the exit itself and the exit is discarded from the cabin after opening, the locating function of the exit sign is lost when the exit is removed. That is, there is no sign to locate the exit for passengers other than for the one who discarded the exit. The exit locating sign is a necessity to direct all occupants.
(2) Operating instructions should be provided as specified. They should be kept short but clear; e.g., "rotate handle," "push," "pull," etc.
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АС 29-2B 7/30/97
(3) Lighting should be provided as specified to illuminate the cabin for egress paths and to supplement lighting of the exit operating instructions signs.
(4) The reflectance of external exit markings can be checked by appropriate electro-optical instrumentation or by use of photometer card sets. AC 20-47, Exterior Colored Band Around Exits on Transport Airplanes, provides information for complying with identical standards contained in § 25.811. These are also acceptable for § 29.811.
The Munsell Color Company, 2441 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, provides a set of cards which includes shades of most commonly used colors.
342A. § 29.811 (Amendment 29-31) EMERGENCY EXIT MARKING.
a. Explanation.
(1) Amendment 29-30 changes § 29.811(f)(1) to allow marking or outlining the handles, release devices, levers, etc., of passenger emergency exits which are "normally used doors," rather than outline the entire door of smaller transport rotorcraft.
If an exit, other than a normally used door, such as a hatch, window, etc., is approved, that exit would be marked around the perimeter as described.
(2) Amendment 29-31 added two requirements to § 29.811(a):
A clarification that emergency exit markings should be conspicuously marked for egress in darkness as well as in daylight.
A requirement for visibility of emergency exit markings when the "rotorcraft is capsized (in water) and the cabin is submerged. This standard applies to rotorcraft configurations complying with § 29.801.
b. Procedures. The procedures of Paragraph 342 are still applicable plus:
(1) The release device, handle, etc., of the normally used doors) may be separate from the normally used handle of the door (such as a release system lever for sliding door rollers). To preclude jamming a sliding door, which is also an exit, in an emergency landing impact, the door should be released from the track. An emergency release handle for releasing door rollers may be used to allow the exit door to be "pushed off" the track. For smaller rotorcraft, such a release lever should comply with the necessary operating procedures and exit markings but should use a distinct, separate 2-inch wide band around the release lever per § 29.811(f)(1). That is, a distinct "band" is necessary to comply rather than a solid block of color around the release lever. Large rotorcraft should have exits marked with a distinct 2-inch band around the exit perimeter as stated in Subparagraphs § 29.811(f)(1). Refer to Paragraph 342 of this AC for color contrast.
510 Par 342
(2) The interior compliance checklist should report that emergency exit markings have been evaluated by "interior compliance inspections" conducted in darkness as well as daylight, and visibility of interior emergency exit markings should be checked under submerged cabin conditions or alternate/equivalent means for those rotorcraft configurations equipped for over-water flights that are approved under § 29.801.
343. § 29.812 (Amendment 29-24) EMERGENCY LIGHTING.
a. Explanation. Section 29.812 was added by Amendment 24. This change unified the requirements for an emergency lighting system into a single paragraph and required these systems only for Category A rotorcraft. The purpose of this change was to afford passengers flying in Transport Category A rotorcraft the same level of safety in an emergency evacuation at night as passengers flying in transport category airplanes.
b. Procedures. This paragraph is quite similar to the emergency lighting system required for Part 25 airplanes. The exception is there are no requirements in this paragraph for floor proximity emergency escape path markings. The following items should be considered in the design of emergency lighting systems:
(1) There is a requirement for two controls of the system. One of these controls is located in the cabin, where it can be operated by a flight crew member or a passenger. The other control is located in the cockpit. These switches must have an "ON," "OFF," and "ARMED" position. These switches should operate independently of each other, and any other systems in the rotorcraft. The emergency lights must become lighted or remain lighted if the switch is either turned on, or the switch is in the armed position and there is an interruption of the rotorcraft electrical power supply.
Inertia switches should not be used to satisfy this requirement.
(2) Sharing of light bulbs with the normal cabin lighting is acceptable provided there is sufficient isolation of the emergency lighting system from the normal cabin lighting circuits. No single failure of the shared portion should render the emergency lighting system inoperative.
(3) The luminosity tests of the emergency lighting system should be accomplished with the emergency exits open.
344. § 29.813 (Amendment 29-12) EMERGENCY EXIT ACCESS.
a. Explanation. Paragraph (a) of § 29.813 prescribes design details for passageways, both between passenger compartments and for access to Type I and II emergency exits, should they be provided. Such passageways are not made mandatory by § 29.813 although most larger rotorcraft have used them. Some utility or "wide-body" rotorcraft may have open areas between the crew area (pilots) and passenger area (cabin). These configurations may have lateral seating arrangements Par 342A 511